Airship and other vessel.



A. A. REMINGTON.

AIRSHIP AND OTHER VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1910.

1 ,07 1 1 80. Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED ARNOLD REMINGTON, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO VICKEBS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

AIRSHIP AND OTHER VESSEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED ARNOLD REM- INGTON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Adderley Park, Birmingham, in the countyof Warwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Airships and other Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to airships and other vessels propelled by power derived from internal combustion engines and has for its object to provide against undesirable loss of weight in an airship or other vessel as the result of combustion of fuel in the engine and the consequent reduction in the quantity of the fuel carried by the airship.

The above object is accomplished according to this invention, by condensing the water vapor contained in the engine exhaust and retaining the water thus obtained in a suitable receptacle which is carried by the airship. The total Water va or in the exhaust owing to the weight 0 oxygen taken up from the air in combustion, is in excess 0 the fuel burned, and therefore if it were entirely condensed and the Whole of it collected and retained in the collecting vessel, the weight of the airship would be increased and some means would require to be adopted for maintaining the initial weight of the airship constant, for example by allowing a portion of the exhaust to escape without its water vapor being condensed, or by allowing a suitable quantity of the water of condensation collected in the said vessel to escape. The Water resulting from the condensation, will however, in most cases be found in practice to be somewhat less in weight than that of the fuel consumed, owing to imperfect condensation; it will nevertheless be sufficiently near to such Weight for the purpose in View.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood we will describe a convenient method of carrying the same into effect with reference to the accompanying drawing, it being understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular method described.

A represents an internal combustion engine of any suitable type, and A represents a portion of the framework of the aerial vessel.

B is the exhaust pipe from the engine to an intercepting vessel C.

D D represent an exhaust pi from the vessel. C, of which the portion l passes up vertically from the middle of the top of such vessel and of which the portion D passes out horizontally (or in any other direction as desired) for discharging into the atmosphere.

B is a coil which forms a portion of the exhaust pipe B from the engine to the vessel C and surrounds the vertical portion D of the exhaust pipe from such vessel.

E is a collecting tank, and F is a pipe which communicates between the lower portion of the vessel C and the top of the tank E, the communication through such pipe being controlled by a cock f. The exhaust-v gases pass through the pipe B and the coil B into the vessel C and in doing so are exposed to the cooling effect of the atmosphere; the water vapor condensed within the said pipe and coil falls as water into the intercepting vessel C, and passes into a lower portion 0 of reduced diameter from which it flows through the pipe F into the tank E, and is there collected. The exhaust gases pass through the coil B, and thus being subjected to centrifugal force, particles of water which result from the condensation are thrown out"against the outer side of the interior of the coil, and form drops which descend into the chamber C. The pipe D is of considerably larger diameter than the pipe B and the coil B, and consequently the exhaust gases flow out from the chamber C through said pipe D at so low a velocity that there is little or no tendency for water which has entered the vessel C to be carried away with the exhaust. Usually the tap f may be left fully open, so that. the water as it flows into the vessel C will flow out through the pipe F into the tank E; but, if desired, the tap 7 may be only partially opened, so as to insure both a substantially constant rate of flow and that the tank E will usually, while the engine is running. be water-locked, by the collection of water in the portion 0 of the vessel C, against escape of exhaust gas into the tank. The formation of the lower portion of the vessel C of small diameter, as described and shown, enables a small quantity of water Within such vessel to act as the water-lock.

The more immediate purpose, however, of this formation is to insure that the area of the surface of the water within such vessel will be small compared with the horizontal sectional area of the higher portion of the vessel, and prevent the incoming gases from impinging directly upon the surface of the water; the coil B is arranged to deliver into the vessel in a manner which insures this result, whereby the risk of the gases carrying particles of water out from the vessel is minimized. A suitable tap is provided on the tank E, either to empty it, or to run oti' water from time to time while the engine is running; the said tap may he set to allow the water to drip from the tank if required, thus insuring that a greater weight of water than is desirable shall not accumulate. The purpose of surrounding the portion D of the exhaust pipe by the coil B is merely for structural convenience.

We have found it an advantage in carrying out the invention to use a vessel G having a diaphragm g which passes down from the closed top to near the bottom of the vessel. The exhaust gases enter the vessel at one side of the diaphragm and pass under the lower edge of the diaphragm as indicated by the arrow in the drawing, and, rising at the opposite side thereof, pass away to the coil B. \Vater is constantly supplied at a slow rate to the vessel G and is carried out therefrom with the exhaust gases and is collected, together with the water of condensation, in the tank E. The water collected in the tank E, or as much of it as is required, may be allowed to pass through a cooler and constitute the water supply for the vessel G. The cooling water which is introduced into the vessel G mixes with the particles of condensed water in the gases and cools them, and has the further effect of condensing more water vapor in the gases than would otherwise be effected. By the use of this vessel the exhaust gases may be cooled to about 70 or 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which will insure a condensation of Water vapor to the extent of about 75 per cent. of the weight of petrol c0nsumed.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination with an airship or other aerial vessel propelled by power of an internal combustion engine for propelling the airship, means for condensing the water vapor in the exhaust gases, and means for collecting and retaining the Water of condensation in order to keep the total weight of the airship constant.

2. The combination with an airship or other aerial vessel propelled by power, of an internal combustion engine for propelling the airship, a condenser through which the exhaust gases pass and a receptacle in which the water of condensation is collected and retained.

3. The combination with an airship or other aerial vessel propelled by power, of an internal combustion engine for propelling the airship, a condenser through which the exhaust gases pass, an intercepting vessel from which the uncondensed gases pass to the atmosphere and a receptacle in which the water of condensation is collected and retained.

4. In an airship or other vessel propelled by power, the combination with an internal combustion engine for propelling the airship, oi a condenser through which the exhaust gases pass, an intercepting vessel in which the water of condensation is separated from the uncondensed gases, an outlet from the said intercepting vessel to the atmosphere of such a diameter that the uncondensed gases will pass therethrough with a low velocity, and a receptacle in which the water of condensation is collected.

5. In an airship or other vessel propelled by power, the combination with an internal combustion engine for propelling the airship, of a condenser through which the exhaust. gases pass, an intercepting vessel in which the water of condensation is separated from the uncondensed gases, a lower part of said vessel of reduced diameter so that the gases do not impinge directly on the surface of the water in the said lower part, and a receptacle in which the water of condensation is collected.

6. The combination with an airship or other aerial vessel propelled by power, of an internal combustion engine for ropelling the airship, a vessel through wh1ch the exhaust gases pass, a diaphragm in said vessel, a condenser composed of a spiral tube, and a tank in which the Water of condensation is collected and retained.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED ARNOLD REMINGTON.

Vitnesses:

ERNEST PARKER,

ETHEL M. WEBB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

